The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-08-03
HOW AMASA SNOW GOT ON
HIS FEET,

his stove full of wood and red hot. His
Office was about rod from his house,
and quite near the high wooden gate
leading into the village street. Over the
door read, "Prothonotary and Attorney
at-law." 1t was a huge, faded sign in
black letters; one could not go by Amasa
Shows Office and not know of the bust
ness of its occupant. The trouble
with the sign was it was not alluring
enough. Squire Slayton, down the
street, with very small sign and over a
grocery store, and without big white
house, and a family name and connec-
tion-Squire Slayton somehow got all
the business there was going on in East
Chestcrvlle. Amasa Snow sat tilted back
in his wooden armchair, pulling his long
chin Leard, scratching the few gray hairs
in his sloping gray head, and trying to
conjurc up some new scheme by which
he could beat Slayton again, and defer the
foreclosure sale. He had deferred it five
times on one excuse and another; but
Slayton had him this time; there was no
help for it. The old place would have to
be sold-the old place where his boyhood
had been passed until he went to college,
and where he had lived ever since, and
seen his six giils grow up about him.
His six motherless girls. He reached
down and broke a splinter off bit of
pine-wood by the stove, and began to
chew hard on it, What would become
of the girls! Every one a beauty in his
eyes; every one worthy of marrying the
Governor of the State. How could he
tell them that the sale of their old home
could be postponed no longer; that every
devise and trick, and every legal quibble,
had been tried and tried again! He dared
not tell the girls. lie looked out
of the Window it was raining. An April
shower, to be sure, with the prospect of
o golden sunset later on, but making
everything outside under the trees look
very muddy and dismal. Amasa Snow
felt very much depressed. Fate appeared
to be against him.
There were his law books-a couple of
thousand dingy calf volumes, not kept up
to date the inheritance from the Judge,
his father, but even the law books were
'chatteled, as they said, /. C., mort.
gagged, quite beyond their value. Every
thing he had, in fact, was mOrtgaged.
He had come this wet April day to the
end of things. Next week came the sale
He felt like saying-the deluge. lie had
not enough money to take him and his
family out West.
That was his plan-to 90 West. He
hardly felt his fifty years. He felt young
and energetic when he thought of the
West By-the-by, there was his brother,
Elisha-his brother who in his youth was
so like him. He was West-in Cali
fornia. He had not seen him for twenty
years. The last he had heard from him
was request to send on hundred dol,
lars. That was five years ago. He had
sent him fifty, and nothing had been
heard from Elisha since, except his name
endorsed across the back of the check,
showing that he had received the money
No, 1t was clear that Elisha could
never help him. Elisha had caused hin
to loose several thousand dollars once il
a mine. Elisha's name was always {
great bugbcar in his family since. No
| Elisha could not be expected to hell
him. Stay! An idea Amasa Snow be
gan to poke the red hot fire vigorously
1t was bleak raw day, but the fir,
was hot enough in that little office if lef
alone. An idea. Elisha should be mad,
to help him. 1t was a last hope, but j
fired him with enthusiasm. He reached
up into dusty bookcase and got dowl
file of letters. He was looking TO
Elisha's address.
just then there came tap at the otfic
} door. Amasa turned round. "B
GeorgeP he cried, nearly carried off hi
feet with astonishment "It's Elisha
IN Proprid PERSONAL
81 have come homc,' said Elisha
meekly. 81 have come hoANssto-
neighbor round"
"And Just in the nick of time, Elisha
Mighty glad l am TO see you" Then
thought occurred to him, as he shook hi
brothers. hand, with that feeble wave il
The air so common in Southern Connect
cut, he would not tell Elisha of his tinan
cial condition. He might not help hin
if he did. No, he would keep his owl
counsel.
The two brothers sat down by tn
stove, and Amasa threw another stick o
soft pine on the fire. 1t was frightfull
hot. See here, Elisha, he said, afte
pause "How's the Grand America
Eagle a-doin'"
puC lSu u-hOlh
"Nothin' at all3n
"No; hasn't been for ten years. ~
"It icas splendid mine once, Elisha
You used TO say So
$50 it was. But we struck hard pa
you remember about it. What's tn
use of rakin over old personalities at thi
time, when l ought to be received wit
open arms, and bonfire lighted, an
fire works touched Off"
II know, l know replied Amasa
apologetically 81 ought to ask hoy
you have happened on East this way"
"Why, yes; you ought to show SON
brotherly feeling, It's natural
"Well, Elisha, have you got an
ready money in yoW pocketl"
Z" A thousand dollars.
Amasa walked over TO his old rust
safe "Better put the money in here
ne asked, casually. Elisha handed hiI
roll of bills. Don't feel like payiI
back any of that two thousandP a'ke
Amasa, facetiously, referring to the lOa
he had made him in the mining scheme.
"No, said Elisha, II don't" After
pause, while his brother locked the safe
he said: "That thousand is the last Ger
I've got in the world"